System for operating or controlling time-indicating devices.



. L. J. ARON. SYSTEM FOR OPERATING 0R CONTROLLING TIME INDIGATING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

3 1 0 O wk-mm- L. J. ARON. SYSTEM FOR OPERATING 0R CONTROLLING TIME INDIGATING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1912 1,094,292. Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

2 HEETS-SHEET 2.

M (wimp UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD TAKES ABON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORTO X. L. ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

I SYSTEM FOR OPERATING OB CONTROLLING TIME-INDIGATING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21', 1914.

Application fllfled Kay 17, 1912. Serial No. 698,030.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEONARD JAMES Anon, a subject of the King of England, residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Operating or Controlling Time-Indicating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to systems for electrically controlling or operating time-indicating devices such as clocks of the kind in which a number of dial indicators or subclocks are arranged to'be electrically operated from a common master clock which is driven mechanically and regulated by a pendulum or otherwise.

In time-indicating systems of this kind the master clock is usually arranged to complete at suitable intervals an electric circuit in which the electro-magnetic operating mechanism of the several dial indicators is connected so as to send an actuating impulse to the said operating mechanisms. In the event of any one of the contacts thus effected by the master clock being omitted or imperfeet, due to the mechanism of the said clock not operating properly or from any other cause, or if a discontinuity occurs in the system of conductors connecting the dial indicators with the master clock, one or more actuating impulses may totally or partially fail to occur or to be properly transmitted with a consequent inaccuracy in the subsequent indications 'ven by the dial indicators affected there y, and the object of the present invention is to provide an improved system of the kind to which the invention relates which shall be more efficient and certain in operation and in which the above disadvantages are avoided.

According to the present invention, each actuating impulse is arranged to be obtained from one or another of a number of sources of such impulses, or points at which an actuating contact is effected, an effective impulse from any one of the sources or points being arranged to control the formation, operation or transmission of succeeding impulses from the other sources so as to prevent the dial indicators of the system receiving corresponding impulses from the other sources. As the result of this arran ement the system can only receive a single e ective impulse necessary to cause the progressive movement of the dial indicators, the succeeding impulses tending to cause the same movement but originating from the other sources being suppressed or prevented from occurring.

The invention may evidently be applied to systems of the kind inwhich the impulses effecting the progressive movement of the dial indicators are all in the same direction, or to systems in which alternate impulses in opposite directions are utilized for this purpose. In the latter case it will be understood that it is the succeeding impulses in the same direction only that are suppressed after an effective impulse has been received by the dial indicators.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanymg drawings, of which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views illustrating the connections and arrangement of electrically actuated clock systems embodying the invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, in which a system operated by electric impulses alternately opposite in sign is illustrated, the two points at which the actuating contacts are effected are constituted by the master clocks indicated at 1 and 2, the sources of electrical energy from which the electric impulses are derived being constituted by corresponding sub-divided batteries 3, 4 respectively. The circuit conductors of the clock system are indicated at 5 and 6, and a number of dial indicators or sub-clocks 7, 8 are shown as connected either singly or in series-connected groups between the conductors 5, 6.

The operation of the two master clocks 1, 2 as regards transmitting impulses from the batteries 3, 4 to the circuit conductors of the system is controlled by means of two relays 9, 10 respectively, each of these relays bein provided with a magnet-izable core 11 an energizing windings 12, 13 connected between the circuit conductors 5, 6 res ectively. The relays 9 and 10 are polarized relays, and are operable by reversing the current each time. The movable member of each of the relays 9, 10 comprises an armature 14, 15 which is so arranged as to occu y one or the other of two positlons. When the armature 14is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the outer end thereof closes a spring contact switch 16 connecting one terminal of the sub-divided battery 3 to one of the contacts 17 of the master clock 1. When the magnetized armature 14 occupies the other of its two positions, it closes a second spring contact switch 18 connecting the other terminal of the sub-divided battery 3 to the other contact 19 of the master clock 1. The connections and arrangement of the relay 10 corresponding to the second master clock 2 are precisely similar, comprising spring switches 20, 21 controlling the connections of the terminals of the battery 4 to the contacts 22, 23 of the master clock 2.

The master clocks l and 2 are represented diagrammatically as comprising in addition to the contacts 17 and 19, 22 and 23, rotating contact arms 24, respectively, which are arranged to be driven by the clock movements in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The-operation of the system is as follows :Assuming that the contact arms 24-25 of the master clocks 1 and 2 have reached the positions indicated in the figure,

' the master clock 1 being somewhat ahead of the master clock 2, the position of the armatures 14, 15 of the relays 9, 10 will beas indicated in full lines of the drawing. As soon as the continued operation of the master clock 1 brings the contact arm 24 into engagement with the contact 17, the left section of the battery 3 will be connected be tween the circuit conductors 5, 6 through the switch 16 and the master clock 1. The electric impulse thus transmitted to the clock system will cause the dial indicators 7, 8 to advance in their indications and the impulse will also be transmitted to the energizing coils 12, 13 of the relays 9, 10. The cores 11 of these relays will thereupon be magnetized in such a manner that the armatures 14, 15 will be moved over toward the right thereby closing the switches 18, 21 and permitting the switches 16, 20 to open. Owing to the continued movement of the master clock 2, the contact arm 25 will, shortly after the actuating impulse above described has been efiected, engage with the contact 22, but as the switch 20 is open no corresponding impulse will be transmitted to the conductors 5, 6 from the battery 4, provided that the preceding impulse due to the master clock 1 as been an efiective impulse. The further operation of the master clocks 1 and 2 will in due course brin the contact arm 24 into engagement with t e contact 19 and shortly afterward the contact. arm 25 into engagement with the contact ,23. The magnetized armature 14 and the core 9 being in such relation as to close the switch 18, the master clock 1 will transmit" an impulse from the right section of the battery 3 to the circuit conductors 5, 6 and this impulse, if eflective, will cause the armatures 14, 15 of the relays 9, 10 to resume the positions shown in full lines in the Fig.1 provided that the impulse is effective. So long as both the master clocks are operating properly the armatures 14, 15 of the relays 9, 10 will continue to ocstops, no impulse will be transmitted to the circuit conductors 5, 6 until the contact arm 25 of the master clock 2 has reached the contact 22, whereupon both the relays 9, 10 will be energized and will reverse the positions of their movable members as before. The same action will occur if for any reason the circuit connecting the battery 3 to the circuit conductors 5, 6 is broken at any point or if the contact arm 24 is rotated by the master clock 1, but fails to effect proper engagement with the contacts 17 19.

The master clocks 1, 2 are preferably synchronized with one another so that the impulses from the master clock 1 are always ahead of those of the master clock 2, or vice versa, but in the event of the master clock 2 for instance gaining so that the position of its contact arm 25 is ahead of the contact arm 24 of the master clock 1, the first impulse transmitted to the circuit conductors will be that due to the engagement of the contact arm 25 with the cont-act 22 and will thus be derived from the left section of the battery 4. The reversal of the positions of the armature 14 of the relay 9 resulting therefrom will permit the switch 16 to open and the engagement efi'ected be- *tween the contact arm 24 and the contact 17 will not cause impulses to be transmitted from the battery 3. It will thus be seen that when an effective impulse has been transmitted to the circuit conductors 5, 6, by either of the master clocks 1, 2 whichever is ahead of the other, no impulse will be transmitted by the later clock and the circuit conductors 5, 6 are thus prevented from receiving more than a single actuating impulse for each advance in the progression of the dial indicators.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a somewhat simpler arrangement is illustrated as applied to a clock system in which the successive actuating impulses are of the same sign or in the same direction. The contact arms 24, 25 of the master clocks 1, 2 in this case are connected to-the one pair of terminals of the batteries 3, 4, the other terminals of the latter belng permanently connected to the circuit conductor 6. The contacts 17, 19 of the master clock 1 are connected together to one of the contacts of a relay switch 26, the contacts 22, 23 of the master clock 2 being similarly connected to a relay switch 27- The relay switches 26. 27 comprise solenoids 12, 13, the plungers 28, 29 of which carry the movable members of the switches and are also provided with dashpot devices 30, 31 respectively. The solenoids 12, 13 are connected across the circuit conductors 5, 6 and the operation of this form" of the invention 'is as.follows:-The rotation of the master clock 1 causes the contact arm 24 to come into engagement with the contact 19 thereby connecting the battery 3 between the circuit conductors 5, 6. The impulse thus transmitted to the clock system also traverses the solenoids 12, 13 and raises the plungers 28, 29 thereby opening the circuits through the batteries 3, 4 at the contacts of the switches 26, 27 respectively. The dash-pot devices 31 are so constructed as to permit the plungers 28, 29 to rise rapidly to open the battery i circuits, but can only resume their lower positions in which the switches 26, 27 are closed after a predetermined interval of time, which interval is greater than the intervals separating a contact effected by the master clock 1 and acorresponding contact efi'ected by the master clock 2. As the result of this arrangement, if an effective impulse has been transmitted by the master clock 1, the master clock 2 will be unable to com- 96- plete a circuit through its corresponding battery owing to the fact that the earlier effective impulse has opened both the battery circuits by means of the relay switches 26 and 27. This modification of the inven- 51; tion could evidently be applied to time indicating systems in which actuating impulses alternately opposite in sign are utilized by varying the arrangement of .the batteries and master clock contacts as will be readily understood without further description.

Referring now to the modification illustrated in Fig. 3, the contacts effected by the master clocks 1 and 2 are in this arrangement arranged to be controlled by means of a pivoted Weighted arm 32, which is set into one or other ofits two positions by means of the electromagnets 12 and 13, and in these positions efi'ects an electrical connection bet-ween the contacts 33 and 34, or 35 and 36 respectively. The connections of these contacts with the electro-magnets 12, 13 and the contacts 17 19 and 22, 23 of the master clocks 1 and 2 will be evident from an ins ection of the figure and the opera- -tion 0 the system is as follows:The rotating arm 24 of the clock 1, will through the contact 19, connect one terminal of the battery 3 with the circuit conductor 5 through the electro-magnet 12, the other terminal of the battery being as before perlit manently connected to the other circuit conductor 6. An actuating impulse will consequently be transmitted to the clock system and will efi'ect the actuation of the dial in- 66 dicators 7 8 in the usual manner, and since ithe electro-magnet 12 is ener ized by this impulse the rockin arm 32 wil take up the i position shown in ig. 3. After a shortin gterval the contact arm 25 of the master ,clock 2 will engage with its corresponding :contact 23, but ,since the contacts 35, 36 are disconnected from one another no impulse will be transmitted from the battery :4 to the circuit conductors. The operation of the master clock 1 will in due course bring the contact arm 24 into engagement with the other contact 17 thereby completing a circuit from the battery 3 through the contact arm 24, contact 17, electro-magnet 13 to the circuit conductor 5. The electro-magnet 13 being thus energized, the rocking arm 32 will be moved into its opposite position so as to connect the contacts 35 and 36 together and disconnect the contacts 33 and 34. The engagement of the contact arm 25 of the master clock 2 with the contact 22 which will occur short-1y after, will not cause any impulse to be transmitted from the battery 4 since the circuit through the contact arm 22 is broken at the contacts 33 and 34. It will thus be seen that so long as the master clock 1 is operating in a proper manner and is ahead of the master clock 2 the actuating impulses transmitted to the circuit conductors 5, 6 will all be supplied from the battery 3 through the contacts of the master clock 1. In the event, however, of the master clock 1 stopping or the circuits of the battery 3 being broken or failure of the battery from. any cause, the

master clock 2 will continue to operate the system in the following manner :Assuming that at the moment of failure of the master clock 1 or of the battery 3, the rocking arm 32 1s m the position shown in the figure, the engagement of the contact arm 25 with the contact 23 will not cause any impulse to be transmitted to the circuit conductors. As soon, however, as the contact arm 25 engages with the contact 22, the circuit will be completed from the battery 4 through the contact arm 25, contact 22, contacts 33, 34, electro-magnet 13 to the circuit conductor 5. The rocking arm 32 will thus be moved into its opposite position, and in due course the engagement of the contact arm 25 with the contact 23 will cause an impulse from the battery to be transmitted to the circuit conductors through the contacts 36, 35 and the electro-magnet 12. The rocking arm 32 will occupy its two positions alternately as the electro-magnets 12, 13 are energized and the master clock 2 will continue to operate the clock system in the usual manner. As in the system of Fig. 1, if the master clock 2 should gain upon the master clock 1 so that its contact arm 25 is ahead of the contact arm 24, the actuating impulses supplied to the system will be those due to the master clock 2 and the battery 4, the connection of the master-clock 1 to the circuit conductors being interrupted by the rocking arm 32 as before described. This form of the invention has been described with reference to Fig. 3 as applied to a clock system in which the impulses are all of the same sign or in the same direction, but by the sub-divi sion of the batteries 3 and 1, as in the case of Fig. 1, the system can evidently be adapted so as to utilize impulses alternately opposite insign for actuating the dial indicators.

The arrangements above described illustrate diagrammatically various ways in which the invention may be carried into practice, but are evidently capable of considerable modification both as regards the actual operation and connections of the systems. Furthermore, the actual devices employed in these systems may be of such construction and arrangement as are necessary to meet the various conditions, the diagrammatic illustrations of such devices shown in the drawings and hereinbetore referred to being only intended to indicate the general nature of these devices.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electrical time-indicating system, the combination of, a plurality of time inidicato-rs, each operable by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, means for generating current, a plurality of electrical iinpulse-connections between the means for generating current and the net-work, a pin rality of automatic periodic circuit-controlling devices one in each impulse-connect-ion, a plurality of electrically opened switches one in each of said iiupalso-connections so connci'ted that its switch contacts form part of the said inipulse-connection and its operating circuit is in electrical connection with the distributing net-work, and means for closing the switches.

2. In an electrical time-indicating system, the cmnbination of. a plurality of time indicators, each operable by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, means for generating current, a plurality of electrical impulseconnections between the means for generating current and the net-work, a plurality of automatic periodic circuit-controlling devices one in each impulse-connection so arranged that one normally modifies the said operative connection in a given sense before any other so modifies it, a plurality of electrcally opened switches one in each of said iinpulse-connections so connected that its switch contacts form part of the said iinpulse-connections and its operating circuit is in electrical connection with the distributing network, and means for closing the switches.

3. In an electrical timeindicating system,

'one in each impulse-connection, a plurality of electrically opened switches one in each of said impulse-connections so connected that its switch contacts form part of the said impulse-connection and its operating circuit is in electrical connection with the distributing net-work, and means for closing the switches.

4. In an electrical time-indicating system,

the combination of, a plurality of time indicators, each operable by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, means for gencrating current, a plurality of electrical impulse-connections between the means for generating current and the net-work, a plurality of automatic periodic circuit-controlling devices one in each impulse-connection, a plurality of electrically opened switches one in each of said impulse-connections so connected that its switch contacts form part of the said iinpulse-connections and its opcrating circuit is in electrical connection with the distributing net-work, and means for automatically closing the switches after lapse of a predetermined time from the moment of their being opened.

In an electrical time-indicating system, the combination of, a plurality of time indicaters each ope able by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, means for generating current, a plurality of bifurcated elec trical impulse connections between the means for generating current and the net work, a plurality of automatic two-way periodic circuit-controlling devices, one in each impulse-connection having one way in circuit with one and the other way in the circuit of the other of the said bifurcations, a plurality of electrically opened switches one in each of said impulse-connections so connected that its switch contacts form part of the said impulse-connection and its operating circuit is in electrical connection with the distributing net-work, and means for closing the switches.

6. In an electrical time-indicating system, the combination of, a plurality of time indicators each operable by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, means for generating current, a plurality of bifurcated electrical impulse connections between the means for generating current and the network, a plurality of automatic two-way periodic circuit-controlling devices one in each impulse-connection having one way in circuit with one and the other way in the circuit of the other of said bifurcations, a plurality of two-way electrically-opened switches one for each impulse-connection and having one way in one and the other way in the other of the said bifurcations and its operating circuit in electrical connection with the distributing net-work and means for closing the switches.

7. In an electrical time-indicating system, the combination of, a plurality of time indicators each operable by electric impulses, a distributing net-work in electrical connection with the indicators, a plurality of split batteries each having its junction point between the two parts connected to one ole of the distributing network and oneo its end terminals connected to the other pole of the distributing network through one way of a two-way master clock and one way of a two-way polarized relay switch and its other end terminal similarly connected through the other way of the same master clock and the other way of the same relay switch, the relay switch having its operating coil in electrical connection with the distributing net-work.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD JAMES ARON.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. BRIDGES, Pnncr G. HEWITT. 

